'The Dead Files' investigates haunted Hanover home

The house on Maple Avenue that will be featured in an episode of Dead Files. (Clare Becker - The Evening Sun)

Deanna and Tom Simpson have lived on Maple Avenue in Hanover for seven years, and for seven years they have been plagued by what they report as paranormal phenomena.

It began with terrifying dreams, Deanna said, of two men standing over her, then one night she opened her eyes and they were standing right next to the bed. Since then, not a single day has gone by where Tom and Deanna haven't experienced a ghostly encounter.

"It's beyond anyone's belief, it's horrible," Deanna said. "It started with small things like the sound of footsteps, doors closing on their own and crying or sobbing coming from empty rooms. I was desperate to calm the house down and kept asking God to heal this home."

Even with the help of a local preacher, a reiki master and paranormal investigators, things only continued to get worse. Footprints have been burnt into the hardwood floor and the Simpsons have woken up with scratches and bruises.

Possibly most terrifying of all was the time Deanna was washing her face and looked into the mirror, only to see the reflection of a dead child lying on the ground.

"She had sandy blond hair, really curly, and dark eyes and lips," Deanna said. "And there was blood all over her and the front of the dress."

Not sure what to do, Tom and Deanna turned to Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi of the Travel Channel's "Dead Files." The show, which is about to start its sixth season, specializes in a two-sided investigation technique with DiSchiavi, a former homicide detective, and Allan, a practicing medium.

The team arrived in Hanover in February for eight days of filming, which documented DiSchiavi's investigation of the property, including consultations with local historians and genealogists. On the final day, Allan was brought to the home for a spiritual walk through before she compared notes with the detective.

"The walk was very intense and I had some fascinating interactions with the dead," Allan said. "Some interesting historical characters showed up linked to crimes that had taken place in the past. It was pretty intense."

Allan revealed the house is occupied by five ghosts, three of which are more active and dangerous, but declined to give further description until the episode airs on July 26. She did say, however, that she was glad the Simpsons called when they did because the activity could have gotten much worse.

During the investigation, DiSchiavi discovered the root of the violence is coming from the property itself, not the house. Among the many dark mysteries he unearthed were the murder of a young woman and the tragic deaths of six children.

"There is lots of misery and death on the property," DiSchiavi said. "The owners had no idea about the history."

In the final portion of the episode Allan said she gave the Simpsons customized directions to cleanse the house, which Deanna said they are following closely.